Gmail is widely regarded as one of the most secure free email services in the world. You never hear about Google experiencing security leaks or losing user data.

But as secure as Gmail may be, it’s not perfect. It doesn’t automatically encrypt all of the emails you send, which means that somebody can intercept your emails and read them. Or, somebody could hack into your recipient’s Gmail account and view the emails they’re receiving.

As unlikely as that may be, it never hurts to encrypt your emails. And thanks to a free new extension for Google Chrome, encrypting your emails has never been easier. Today, we’re going to show you how to easily use that extension to safeguard whatever secret info you’re sending.

You will need:

-A Gmail account

-Google Chrome

Step 1) Download an extension called SafeGmail from the Chrome web store by clicking the Add to Chrome button in the top right corner of your screen

Step 2) Click ‘Add’ and wait for the installation confirmation message to appear

Step 3) Login to your Gmail account and start writing a new message. You’ll notice a button that says Encrypt right below the Subject heading.

Step 4) Enter a question and answer that only your recipient will know. You could ask them where you first met, for example. Or ask them to type in a secret code and then text them that code.

Step 5) Write your email, send it, then relax knowing that it will not likely be intercepted.

Interestingly enough, the messages sent through SafeGmail will automatically expire after “a random amount of time” has passed. Message recipients are also greeted with this intimidating message when they try to open your email:

The SafeGmail tool is a good option for some situations, but your friends will probably get annoyed with you if you start using it all the time. Use your newfound encryption power wisely.

Firefox users have encryption too

Fortunately, there’s also an email encryption tool for Firefox users – and it works for more than just Gmail. That tool is called Encrypted Communication and it’s a fantastic way to safeguard your messages. Download Encrypted Communication here.